Joe Ledley scored the only goal of the game that saw Celtic leapfrog Rangers at the top of the SPL. Celtic dominated throughout but it was a game full of controversial incidents. Lee Wallace appeared to have opened the scoring for Rangers but Fraser Forster scooped the ball out of the net. In the second half Gary Hooper was sent clean through by Georgios Samaras but was incorrectly flagged for offside.
Referee Willie Collum declined to show a red card to Lee McCulloch, David Healy and Kyle Lafferty despite plenty of provocation but Rangers never looked like forcing an equaliser once they went behind.
Celtic had the ball in the net early on when Rangers’ keeper, Allan McGregor spilled the first of two Gary Hooper shots he failed to keep hold off. Georgios Samaras was on-hand to clip the ball over the keeper but was flagged for offside. Despite Celtic enjoying the majority of possession Rangers had the best two chances of the first half. Wallace’s header which Forster’s alertness kept from hitting the net and then Carlos Bocanegra had a gilt-edged chance from six yards out but made a clumsy connection with his knee and sent the ball over.
Sone Aluko caused Celtic some problems early on when playing wide right but with Celtic dominating central midfield Ally McCoist pulled Aluko into the middle, which didn’t prevent Beram Kayal and Victor Wanyama from controlling midfield but blunted Rangers attacking options.
The gales which blew through Glasgow today faded as the game wore on but they were still strong throughout the first half with Celtic playing into the wind. On a couple of occasions Fraser Forster’s clearances didn’t reach the halfway line, in contrast to the second half, when his clearances repeatedly ran through to McGregor in the opposite goal. As a result, half time was a welcome break for Celtic.
The second half was five minutes old when Charlie Mulgrew got his first opportunity to send in a wind-assisted in-swinging corner. There is something curious about a 6’3” central defender taking corner kicks instead of trying to get on the end of them but Mulgrew’s delivery provided evidence as to why this is.
The corner was fast and direct but dipped five yards from goal at the far post. Four players jumped for the ball but Joe Ledley picked the flight of the ball out of the blustery confusion. All the ball needed was the faintest touch to send it bulleting high into the net.
Adam Matthews dominated the right side of the field. His pace allowed him to recover to inhibit any attack down the Rangers left while his control and passing pegged Rangers back throughout. Rangers played Nikica Jelavic on Thomas Rogne, who was hooked when the pair met at Hampden in March, but the 21-year-old Norwegian was never in trouble this evening. Jelavic was a sorry looking shadow of a football player who is flattered by reported interest in him.
Beram Kayal was taken out of the game by Lee McCulloch, who was red carded on his last appearance against St Mirren, but with Kayal on the deck McCulloch hung a limp ankle in the air while writhing in pain. It looked like a break for the Rangers player but he got up after referee Collum decided against showing a red card.
The league’s poorest player, David Healy, made a late cameo and should have been shown a straight red card for a dangerous lunge at James Forrest. Fellow Irishman, Kyle Lafferty, was also lucky to escape a red when he took Adam Matthews out of the game as Rangers lost their discipline late on.
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Well, the ref gave it to us didn’t he? The hunz wuz robbed.
Just think – we only get to enjoy another 999 of these until things have evened themselves out.
I wish Neil would just shake the wee fat orange lump of lard’s hand and walk past him, instead of all that hugging and backslapping and whispering in his ear.
He hates you Neil and everything you stand for!
Please treat him with the contempt he fully deserves.
what did you make of McCoist`s get up
shirt, tie , cardigan and rain jacket ……looked like one of Jack and victor`s pals fae Craiglang …all that was missing was the bunnet or saft hat
…..PFayr
No idea about the slur on McCoist.
Doubtless it will be more Leggatesque drivel.
They’ve got a thread suggesting racist chanting at Aluko. Extraordinary, lowlife who want to sling this mud on the back of a defeat.
SwanseaBhoy
Philbhoy at 10:16
I hate it when you beat around the bush, say what you mean man ;)
Rogne and Mulgrew in the middle were sensational. Kayal and Wanyama won their battles and Davis was neutered completely. That was the platform we needed to get the edge in terrible conditions and against an organised team of hatchet men and it worked. It was never a night for Ki. To win the league you need players who will put their bodies on the line in that type of environment and we have that with Beram, Vic, Joe, Tam, Scott and Charlie.
The two biggest decisions on the night – Hooper clean through on goal and Wallace’s header, were both the domain of the linesman, not Collum. Collum was charged with calling other decisions right. Like yellow cards. Spoke twice to Bartley without giving a card. Edu and Jelavic deliberate handballs seen, free kick, no yellow, despite the rules saying so. McCulloch, unpunished. Incredible. Lafferty, he couldn’t get the yellow card out quick enough, never even considered the red. As for the league’s poorest player (love it!), what an absolute outrage. So where are the lynch mobs of those who decry the Scottish game – where’s the protection of our ball players?
But surely, as with Udine, the performance is secondary to fan behaviour? Orange smoke bomb front page this morning? Songs of the the Pope and the Vatican? Incidentally it was the only song I heard and I’ve never seen their end empty so quickly, with a thousand or more already away by full time. Don’t worry, they must have heard us from 10 miles away as the whistle blew. They knew their team was impotent. They’ll be lucky to get a 6 figure sum for Jelavic on that form.
Anyway, I was just enjoying the banter when someone posted that utter tosh from Leggat. It’s just the icing on the cake to know that his cat must be well bruised and his New Year, hot on the heals of his Christmas, utterly and completely ruined.
G
I
R
U
Y
!
What do you call a hun with a bottle of champagne?
“Waiter!”
swanseabhoy
racist chanting …nonsense
they try so hard to bring us down to their level
Good morning friends from an abolutely glorious East Kilbride.
Was at the game, last night I watched the full re-run and this morning I’m going back to ‘watch’ the live updates. When’s the book coming out ;-)
Jobo
Of all the decisions last night I felt 2 were really poor
Hooper off side was a bad call.. I felt it was reasonable clear he was on side and given he was virtually on the halfway line in uncluttered by players there was little excuse.
The Heally tackle was brutal and the kind of thing you expect in pub league derby by nut jobs. No professional player should need or want to make that kind of tackle. In fact making that tackle raises questions over your ability to play professionally IMO.
I thought McCulloch and Kayal both met the ball straight legged. As both met the ball I would just put it down to 50:50 no action.
Lafferty pearly had intent to get Matthews leg but didn’t make contact with anything other than sole of his boot. Yellow fair.
The not given ‘goal’ also correct.
These are all isolated incidents but taken as a whole there was one team who deserved to win and they did. Any Hun who thinks they were robbed is deluded.
Lenny’s record as a manager against the huns is excellent. I think that’s only three defeats in ten games against them.
Great shooting in anyones book.
I so want this title for Neil (and myself)!
Jobo
Dark, wet and very windy in West Lothian.
But glorious too!
Clicky still of McCulloch ‘not going over the ball’ apparently.
Defo red.
Blantyrekev
great joke mate
laughed ..not for the first time this morning tho :¬))
Cultsbhoy….
If elbows tackle was honest why did he pretend he was badly hurt?
Writhing in agony with waving arms is usually a sign that you are seriously injured,
When he realised he’d got away with it he recovered very quickly.
Watch the tackle again. Was he watching the ball or Beram?
He is a dirty cheating three faced hun and always has been.
Thank goodness he is a crap footballer and his “career” will soon be over.
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning! says:
29 December, 2011 at 10:38
Hopefully Lasley or Jennings brings the last part of your last sentence to fruition on Monday :-)
Mr X
I saw somewhere last night that Lenny’s record against Rangers is 5 Wins, 2 Draws and 3 Defeats.
Bear in mind most of that was against Walter Smith, not Super Duper Soaraway Ally.
I agree with you about winning the title for Lenny. It would have broken my heart to see him walk away from Celtic without a title under his belt. Win it this year and who knows where his Celtic journey will end.
The Neil Lennon factor will make it the most difficult league they will ever have lost in my opinion. I don’t think they have ever hated one of our Managers even a half as much as they hate Neil.
NEIL LENNON – CELTIC’S LEADER.
SwanseaBhoy
dirtymac
disspells this BS being put about about a 50-50 challenge ….
Dooby Dooby Doo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16350575.stm
First line states >
Ally McCoist believes Rangers can retain their Scottish Premier League crown even if reinforcements are not signed in the January transfer window.
Philbhoy
very apt description of McCullloch
Great result last night.
Greedy! I wanted more goals.
Bhoys became men last night. Some big calls from Lenny. Rogne playing was a surprise but was an inspired choice.
Matthews is solid. Great full back.
Ledley was superb.
Forrest was his usual livewire self and Forster now has the confidence of the team.
Kayal was a massive loss. I felt we lost the midfield a wee bit after he went off.
Wee bit nervy at the end but the defence coped solidly.
Collum done OK but still got some calls wrong. Pretty much all we can expect from a referee in these matches.
Will take a 1-0 everyday of the week and they are on the slide. Let’s see how Swally copes now.
The footage of Smith & Whyte was priceless. They looked shocked and the sight of Ally telling Wylde to ‘Come on’ before he came on shows the tactical genius of the man. Totally clueless and if the man with the bald napper wasn’t there he would be in trouble.
Let’s keep the momentum going. Get a trophy in the cabinet ASAP and get the league wrapped up early doors.
LB
dirtymac
I expect motherwell to retreat into their little shells as usual when they play the huns.
I wonder what the betting is on ‘well committing 5 fouls or less?
Good Morning to the Celtic Family from a wet Central Scotland. Oh what a Wonderfull Morning oh what a Wonderfull day Ive got a feeling everythings going Celtics way.Still on a high from last night and its a good feeling this sitting top of the league I noticed a few top English managers watching the game and im sure I saw Stan Petrov Neil and the team are building a fine reputation for themselves.H.H.
dirtymac
Motherwell don`t commit fouls against the Huns …only eight in each of their last two games as apposed to 22 in each of their last two games against us
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning! says:
29 December, 2011 at 10:42
Ditto, but one can but live in hope that at some point, at least one of their ‘professionals’ faces up to their shameful kow-towing.
As an aside – anyone know bookies that still take bets on orcs penalties? Fancy them to get two on Monday :-(
Lots of players and ex players at the game.
Mate of mine met McAteer and Aldridge after the match.
Good to see wee Strachan at the match toe tapping to the tunes whilst talking to Billy McNeill. The wee man loves the Hoops.
LB
Philbhoy
I will watch again. As last time I was focus sex on their feet and the ball.
As you indicate ‘intent’ is important.
Whatever our opinions regarding the tackle I think we are of the samemind re as a player… He is rank a sad indictment on Scottish football where without basic skill you can bully your way in to a professional contract if you effect a hard cheating approach.
4 years today since Phil O’Donnell passed away
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=1936
iPhone!!!!! Focussed… Not focus sex.. Wtf????
Cultsbhoy,
Spot on post
Apart from the wee typo…
:-)
There ain’t nothing quite as satisfying as a hurting hun journalist…….
read it and smile :)))))))))
Ewing Grahame in the Telegraph
hail \o/ hail
Happy Days.
Happy with the performance.
Happy with the victory.
Happy with the ole 17 point turn around.
Happy watching the humble pie being choked down.
C’mon you Bhoys in Green.
MWD
The average age of the Celtic starting XI was 22 years old against Rangers last night.
Let me tell u this leggats father was a member of a bowling club in Paisley that had a similar membership policy Rangers signing policy. He is a bigot of the highest order. He palpably bristles when he talks about Celtic. St Mirren fan my ass.
Just woke up after last nights celebrations. Great result but ref definitely bottled giving cards as has been discussed already. So proud of the players the management team and especially the fans. The noise and constant singing last night done us proud.
Best Christmas present possible
Any doubt that could be given to McCulloch for his tackle is lost when one considers his normal conduct and when he feigned injury.
He knew what he had done.
….PFayr says:
29 December, 2011 at 10:44
I actually sullied my eyes by watching one of their encounters and believe me, both sides were brutal (in any sense of the word).
As I watched some sort of Oz Rules/Rugby/Kickboxing bastardisation unfold before my eyes, it got me thinking as to why so few fouls were being
committedpenalised and the only thing I could come up with was that it’d be to the long term detriment to both teams on the pitch.This was a strange and curious thought, in that one could see why the ref might hesitate to penalise the orcs, but not that he would hesitate to penalise Motherwell too. Unless, of course, Motherwell might need certain types of players available for ‘other’ games.
Take from that what you will. orcs played them two games before us in September, btw.
BBC highlights from last nights game ,available to those outwith the UK. probably tons of videos from last night , but thought id round the year off anyway , thanks for all your support on the site throughout the year .
http://www.kirkintillochemerald.co.uk/showthread.php?p=25168#post25168